Shine On
by baby-rose15
Summary: Collection of one-shots. They vary from tags to episodes, crazy happy endings my brain has cooked up, analysis of characters feelings, funny moments, just about everything. If you want, a happy moment or happy ending this would be the place to go.
1. What I Need

**Well season six is here and I need a new place to dissect the happenings of the episodes and explore all the possibilities my brain has come up with. So I begin this new collection with a few things from episode to that I feel like have been neglected a little bit in the collective freak out over Hannah. There were just a few moments that I think were vastly important that were almost glossed over so I'm bringing them to the fore front in this piece.**

**I don't own Bones but the people who do are fabulous at it.**

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What I need?

"We couldn't" She says boldly as we sit at the counter in the diner eating lunch with Sweets in between us, discussing how strange it is that the victims were a couple. I'm arguing that love over comes all, and she and Sweets are saying that it's very unlikely for a relationship between the two of them to work.

That's when in her typical Bones manner she jumps to the one topic I would prefer never be brought up, let alone in front of shrink boy. Who by the way agreed with her even though he has barely any idea of what happened.

If we'd been alone I probably would have told her that we could have if she'd just given it a chance. Besides that we did work, for nearly five years we worked seamlessly. It wasn't until I tried to take it further and she balked that it came crashing down, that and we both fled. I just wanted to shake her and force her to acknowledge that she never really gave us a chance. But I can't because Sweets is here and I have Hannah. I'm happy with Hannah she can give me everything I want.

But she doesn't stop there Bones goes on to tell, both of us mind you, that she would imagine us together as a couple while we were apart, and it was pleasant. So now not only am I frustrated with her for concluding that we couldn't make it work but now I'm wondering if her fantasies were simply us holding hands and eating together or if they were more vivid fantasies of our naked bodies moving against each other. I stop the thought there because I can't let it go any further I have Hannah, I love Hannah she wants what I want.

I spend hours trying to purge my thoughts of the stubbornness that is my partner, and even longer trying to convince myself that whatever her imagination came up with in relation to our non-existent relationship doesn't matter. Nevertheless, I can't help wondering what she imagined when we were apart. But when Hannah comes into the room exuding so much enthusiasm I forcefully push all the thoughts of my partner from my mind because the blonde in front of me is what I want.

We closed the case and sit at the bar still debating the power of love. She convinced that there's no such thing and that I'm being lead astray by a chemical reaction of god knows what and I hear her admit that she's felt those things before and trusted them. Hannah comes bouncing into the bar at that moment in a pretty black dress all ready for dinner, our first real date without the threat of gun fire, and I focus on her but I can help but register my partners last words in the back of my mind, "I won't let it happen again."

I know she doesn't think that I heard her, and that's ok. But part of my brain will spend the next few hours wondering if I might have broken her further. I spent so many years trying to convince her that she wasn't going to be left behind and that she should maybe just trust her heart instead of her brain. I want to tell myself that she's strong and will get through this and she will find happiness herself, because hell I did. I found a woman that is everything I want.

And yet as I sit across the table from the women I want I can't help but wonder if she's what I need?

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**Well there it is the first one shot of a collection that I'm sure will have many more. What did you think?**

**Also Hannah doesn't bug me as much as Booth is right now, everyone thinks he's happy and feel like he's chipper in a forced manner. I don't know it seems to me like he's over doing it, which probably why I wrote the above.**

**I hope you liked and I hope you'll come back**

**Babyrose  
**


	2. Storm Brewing

**I'm glad that all of you could join me in this collection. Now this second piece is metaphor heavy and was inspired by the fact that I got season 5 for my birthday and started watching it today only to realize that season five was really rough emotionally in a way that I didn't really understand until you start watching the episodes back to back. Anyway it got me thinking about what's to come and my brain came up with this. I apologize if you don't like this style of writing but it just seemed to fit the mood of what I was going for. **

**Let's see... important details: The Center is Booth and Brennan, and the Observers are Cam, Angela, Sweets and Hodgins. In my head at least the questioner is Cam, the nose wrinkler is Angela, the head shaker is Sweets, and the shrugger is Hodgins. I promise that sentence will make more sense when your reading it.**

**I don't own Bones and appreciate that immensely even when I want to give the writers a piece of my mind when they slowly crush my heart with every little moment.**

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Storm Brewing

There's a storm brewing. The dark clouds loom in the distance, waiting, seemingly watching for the worst possible moment to sweep in and reek untold of amounts of damage. The air seems to spark with the intensity of what is to come. It weighs at first, unknowingly, on the people wrapped up in their busy lives successfully convincing themselves that everything is fine and that they have achieved normalcy. But as time passes its inevitability begins to weigh heavier on everyone, slowly the complaints of the coming tempest begin to surface. It starts with a small comment here and there working its way up to be the sole subject of conversation.

One whispers to the other, "Do you think they can feel it?" the only response is a nod because the subject of conversation is too close for further conversation.

"It must be killing her." Someone observed, and no one could disagree, rather they could only nodded their heads in solemn agreement knowing that there is nothing more that they could do than try and maintain normalcy and weather the impending doom in silence.

"Things are falling apart." It was whispered into the small observing group, the others tried to come up with an argument against what had been uttered, but could find none and they turned back to activity at hand: watching everything crumble before their eyes.

Finally, someone asked the one question that was lingering in the back of all their minds, "Do you think that they'll survive this?" The question was greeted with silence as they each contemplated the thought, before one looked up at the center of the storm with a soft assured grin on their face, "Yeah." They say resolutely, "It might be a little bumpy but yeah they're going to be just fine." They take this for granted and smile to each other, before the youngest jokes, "Fasten your seat belts ladies and gentlemen we're in for a bumpy ride."

It's almost overnight the impending doom sweeps in leaving a wake of destruction in its path. The stalling force for the storm disappeared into the night, allowing everything to flood out into the open. No one was expecting it to break when it did or with such a fury but when the lab doors slid open and they were greeted with the destruction no one batted and eye, rather moving on directly to triage the situation and keep things operating as best they could.

They all knew that it was meaningless to try and help and at the end of the day they couldn't do anything more that provide a temporary patch to keep things running while things fell apart. Unlike the last time where everything felt like it slipped away this time things shattered, leaving sharp and painful edges scattered across the landscape.

"How long do you think this will last?" Finally, one of the observers gathered the courage to ask, the others shrugged, no one wanting to think that they were facing an indefinite period before things would return to normal, let alone consider the possibility that they might have to change their definition of normal. The thought was simply too painful to consider.

Then as suddenly as the storm had swept in it was over. The air had a sparkly fresh feeling that is only possible after it's finally rained after days of anticipation. To say that it was all smiles and sunshine sounds a little ridiculous and yet they can find no other way to describe the feeling. "I told you it would be just fine." The one gloats in passing and the others smile and laugh knowing that they were right.

"What do you think happened?" One asked as they watched something quite literally blossom before their eyes. "He didn't chase her again did he?" One wrinkled their nose, another shook their head, and the last simply shrugged their shoulders unconcerned about how the peace finally came about content that it did.

"It had to be her." The head shaker finally said, "He's put his heart on the line too many times, this time it had to be her. If she didn't make the first move this time we would still be trying to hold everything together with nothing but our own stubbornness."

"I guess that makes sense." The questioner agreed.

"Does it matter, they're happy now, and I was right about it working out." Gloated the shrugger.

At that moment, the center of the storm approached, looking nothing like they had just weathered the emotional hurricane that had just ripped through everyone. "What we talking about?" One questioned.

The nose wrinkler smiled and simply asked, "What changed between you?" Gesturing at the lack of space between their bodies. The others all looked shocked but at the same time eager to hear the answer.

The ever-rational one gazed around the table at the group of people that had become the lifeline they relied on their eyes finally settling on the one person that they could never do without, and answered. "We experience a close call on the case the other day and I felt it was pertinent that Booth be made aware of my feelings towards him."

He chuckled and the rest of the table tried not to look too amused, as the other half of the center smiled wrapping an arm around the other, "Yeah she went all emotional on me, when she thought I'd been shot." He pressed a kiss to her lips in a gesture that the rest had never seen before, "Apparently nearly dying for the third time is the trick." They joked with the table as the other half gently elbowed him in embarrassment.

They all grinned stupidly because this is exactly what they've been dancing around for years and now it seems as though the proverbial cloud has evaporated. "I believe this calls for champagne." One signaled the bar tender, easing the tension and they all dissolved into happy comfortable discussion that had long been absent as they waited for the sparkling liquid to be poured.

They all lifted their glasses as peace flowed in the wake of the storm and one whispered to the click of the glasses, "To eventually."

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**What did you think? Did it make sense? Did it work for you?  
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**New episode today!**

**Babyrose  
**


	3. A Rational Conclusion

**So it's baseball season and Fox finds that to be important for their viewership so we get baseball games instead of Bones here mildly depressing. Anyway because of that my brain has been playing with the up coming episodes and the minimal info I got from the 30 second promo that aired at the end of the last episode. So there are minor spoilers in here. Mostly I think that it's my wishful thinking that things might start getting back to normal sometime in the near future.**

**I don't own Bones**

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A Rational Conclusion

I lean against the doorjamb to the hospital room looking in at my girlfriend who is sleeping comfortably thanks to the medication they've given her. She looks tiny and fragile wrapped in the hospital gown they've given her, and blankets don't seem like they're nearly enough to keep her warm. But she's fine, at least that's what she keeps telling me, the doctors say her recovery might be slow and she's going to need physical therapy to walk properly again. Bones looked at her x-rays and assures me that the doctors did a good job reconstructing her femur and she will be fine after physical therapy.

I watch the rise and fall of her chest glad that she's going to be ok. I can't believe her luck, she's been embedded with every branch of the military as well as just being a reporter in war zones for years and the worst injury she's ever received was a few scrapes diving for cover in an explosion. Two months in DC and she's been seriously shot. What am I suppose to make of that, she came to DC because of me and it turns out she probably would have been safer if she'd stayed in Afghanistan.

I turn my head looking down the hallway to see Bones sitting in the waiting room casually flipping through one of the extremely old magazines that always seem to populate waiting rooms. Every now and then, she gets a wrinkle in her forehead as something interesting or possibly absurd catches her eye and she pauses to read the article before she continues the causal flipping.

I sigh wondering why she's here, glancing back at the woman sleeping soundly in the hospital bed before pushing off the doorframe and wandering down the hallway to join Bones in the waiting room. Talking a seat beside her waiting for her to close her magazine before asking, "What are you doing here Bones?"

"Offering moral support." She answered simply, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Do you need me to get you and Hannah some food? Would you like a cup of coffee? I could go get something if you want to stay here. I can get you a book or…"

I put a hand on her knee stopping the list of offers. "I'm fine Bones."

"How is she?" She glanced towards the hallway that held Hannah's room.

"Sleeping. I talked to her a few hours ago she's insisting she's fine and will be ready to go home tomorrow." I sighed scared at the thought of leaving her in my apartment, our apartment I correct myself, by herself when she's barely mobile.

"Booth you should get some sleep too then." She insisted softly.

"No I need to stay here I'm not going to leave her in the hospital by herself." I shook my head.

"I'll stay with her Booth." Bones offered, "She's going to need your help tomorrow, you need your sleep."

I looked at her in disbelief, what had happened to the oddly rational overly logical person that had been masquerading as my partner for the last few months. The woman that had just offered her help was much more similar to the woman that I had left at the airport nine months ago. "Are you sure Bones?"

She nodded her head resolutely, "Yes I brought my laptop so I can work on my next book and a couple of articles. Tomorrow is Saturday so I'm not going into the lab, I'll take it easy."

I looked down the hallway contemplating the chance of sleeping in my own bed for the first time in days as opposed to the lumpy armchair that was in Hannah's room. "Thanks Bones, I owe you."

She shook her head, "A cup of coffee in the morning is all that necessary. It's nothing you wouldn't do for me."

I smiled glad that my partner that had learned, for the most part, how to interact with other humans was back. "You're a saint." I told her standing up to walk with her back to Hannah's room.

She opened her mouth I'm sure to tell me something sassy about Saints not existing I'm sure so I just gave her the look that usually clues her to the fact that what I said was rhetorical. She quickly closed her mouth. Before opening it again, "You're welcome. Go say good-bye to her I'll wait out here." She paused in the doorway.

I ducked into the room collecting my things and brushing a gentle kiss on Hannah's sleeping forehead, before leaving again and pulling Bones into a hug. "You are seriously the best partner an agent could ask for." I told her kissing her forehead too. "I'll be back in the morning with your favorite coffee." I promised.

She just nodded, "Go home and get some sleep. We'll be here in the morning." She shooed me out of the hospital before turning around to settle herself into Hannah's room.

In the morning I found myself carrying three cups of coffee into the hospital, one for me, one made exactly the way Bones likes it in the morning with soy milk and one sugar as oppose to the three she'll put in it at night and a third black coffee for Hannah when I'd realized that I didn't know how she took her coffee so I had a stash of creamers and sugars in the fourth cup holder just in case.

Both women were awake chatting quietly when I entered the room looking pleased at the coffee. Bones smiled and picked up her bag, "Take it easy over the next few days Hannah physical therapy can be extremely taxing." She gratefully took the cup I offered her. "I'll see you at work in a few days Booth."

"Thanks Bones." I smiled at her before she walked out into the hall and disappeared out of sight sipping on her coffee.

The room was silent for a minute as Hannah took a sip of her own coffee; I made a mental note that she apparently drinks it black since she hadn't used any of the extra supplies I'd brought with me. "How are you feeling?" I asked.

"Morphine gives me a hangover. They're going to give me a prescription for something else." She took another sip of her coffee, "She loves you." She told me quietly, almost quietly enough that I think she was half hoping I didn't hear.

I tried not to let my shock that she'd pick up on it so quickly show through as I sat on the end of the bed. "She's just my partner and best friend."

"Seeley." Hannah continued quietly but at the same time completely assured of herself, "partners and best friends don't stay with the other's girl friend over night in the hospital."

I didn't want to have this fight or even get into the subject, ideally ever. "Well mine does. She knew I was tired and she wanted to make sure I got enough rest so that I could take care of you today. For her it was a rational conclusion." Knowing that that last clause would shut down the conversation, at least for now.

Hannah looked at me skeptically over the top of her coffee cup, and I could tell that she hadn't really been fooled by it but was going to let it go for now at least. "Whatever you say. You know her better than I do."

"Thank you." I clapped my hands together, "So what do you say we get you out of here?" I smiled.

As Hannah went through the discharge papers and the doctor gave us all the instructions they deemed necessary for a full recovery and made sure we knew the location of the physical therapist for her first appointment on Monday I couldn't help wondering how much longer I'd be able to keep this up?

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**What are your thoughts?**

**Babyrose  
**


	4. An Experiment

**So this would be me attempting to prove that there can be plenty of problems on the show to keep viewers interested if they get Booth and Bones together which I suppose is a reaction to Hannah still being around. Which just makes me annoyed, she's officially the longest significant other that either one of them has had and I'm starting to reach my limit on how much more I can handle. I also just want Brennan from season 5 back or really any of the previous season because as of now she bugs me.**

**Sorry for the rant, I swear this has a happy ending even if it hurts a little bit at first. Bones isn't mine.**

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An Experiment

It was bad sex. There's really no other way to phrase it, it was terrible. It was awkward and clumsy and left them both feeling like everything that they'd ever possibly imagined that moment to be was a lie. There was no way that it was supposed to have been like that. They were supposed to come together and it would be like puzzle pieces falling together, a perfect fit. Instead, when they fell apart they were both speechless, afraid to be the first one to say something that might possibly make it more awkward.

So they both lay there in silence for god knows how long before she sat up holding the sheet to her body. "I should go." She said slowly, "I have an early meeting with a professor and it will be simpler if I … if I just go home." He felt like it was the first time that he'd heard her choose her words with such care.

She began pulling on her clothes carefully trying to avoid his eyes, knowing that he would be trying to get her to stay or at least understand where her mind was at. For once she didn't know what to think and so she focused on pulling the buttons through their holes one by one on her shirt before sliding her shoes on.

He couldn't refrain any longer at some point though and reached out catching her hand and she settled it on the bed to take a bed breath. "I'll pick you up for lunch tomorrow." Then she did something very uncharacteristic she turned around and smiled at him almost relieved. "Yes." She nodded and leaned down and gently pressed a kiss to his lips before disappearing into the night.

They both got no sleep that night instead staring at the ceiling of their respective bedrooms trying to figure out what went wrong and when it happened. As the sun climbed over the horizon neither had come to any conclusions so instead they faced the day unsure of anything. He didn't get to pick her up for lunch that day or for any other meal in two days. The most he got was a glimpse of her when he made a point of going to the lab when she was supposed to be there, but even then he was side tracked by Cam and when he was finally free, she was nowhere to be found.

By day three, he was going insane and knew that the lab wasn't the place to confront her and so he sat outside her apartment building until he saw the lights come on and then he collected the peace offering of Thai from his front seat and made his way to her front door knocking gently.

She had expecting him to come earlier, but when the knock finally came she was still startled and for a brief moment she contemplated ignoring it, before realizing he would break down the door if that's what it came to. So instead she opened the door and tired to smile when she noticed that he was carrying a bag of take out for a second she was really smiling. So she took the bag of food from him and walked towards her kitchen knowing that he would follow.

She was pulling plates down from the cabinet when she felt his arm snake around her waist and gave her a gentle tug. He was there and he was offering warmth, comfort and reassurance that she'd needed from her best friend and not her boy friend, or her lover or any other word that is supposed to and inadequately describes their relationship. She turned into him looping her arms around him and tucking her head into the crook of his neck breathing in the comforting scent of his body wash. He just held her grateful to have is arms around her again, and together they stood in the middle of her kitchen.

Eventually he knew they need to actually talk about it so he pressed a kiss to the top of her head, "Talk to me Bones."

She didn't move her head instead she began picking at his t-shirt, "I don't want to hurt you." She said quietly.

Holding her in place he responded, "By not telling me what's going on inside your brilliant brain is hurting me more than you telling me whatever it was you're trying to do by disappearing."

She was quiet for a moment, taking a deep breath reminding herself that he was still there despite everything that had happened. "It was awful Booth."

And too her great surprise he chuckled just a little bit and squeezed her a little bit closer, "Yeah it was terrible." She looked up at him eyes wide at his response. "Definitely not what our first time should have been."

"Then why are you laughing?" She asked puzzled.

"I'm just glad that it was as horrible for you as it was for me."

"That doesn't change anything Booth." She pushed away from him.

"What do you mean" he got suddenly serious.

She folded her arms across her body, in an effort to protect herself. "We can't do this. We can't be more than partners."

"Whoa. Hold up just because we had bad sex once means that you don't want to do this anymore?" He couldn't believe it

"We had bad sex the first time we had sex Booth. You can't tell me that you were expecting us to have bad sex?"

He was slightly taken aback by that. "Well no I didn't think that we'd have bad sex the first time, but I thought about it and I'm not really surprised that we did."

"So you've decided that it's fine." She looked like she couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"No it's not fine right now but in the long run it will be completely fine." He could tell that he was losing her quickly and he had to make his case. "Think about it Bones that first time, I've certainly imagined it hundreds of different ways and it's always been a lingering thought at the back of my mind that when we finally had sex if would be explosive. Doesn't that sound like a lot of pressure on that first time Bones?"

She looked puzzled, "It does but it doesn't mean that we can keep doing it." She looked heartbroken. "I can't lose you as my partner… or my best friend."

He stood staring at her for a moment. Before he was propelled into action his hands darting out and coming to rest on her arms. "Bones I'm not going anywhere." He leaned in and gently kissed her giving her time of adjust to the kiss and to respond ever so hesitantly, before she was stepping closer to him. He pulled back just a little bit locking his gaze with hers, "Does that feel like a kiss between two people who have bad sex?" He asked hoping to use her own well-loved and trusted logic against her.

She shook her head and bit her lip looking worried, "But Booth doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different outcome is the definition of insanity."

He smiled now because he had found the away around her panic, "Well if you want to look at it that way then look at it like an experiment." She pulled her eyebrows together in confusion so he pushed on. "You never do an experiment just once do you?"

"No the experiment is done several times to makes sure that the same results are produced every time." She still looked confused even when she provided him the answer.

"Well what if that one time we've had sex was an anomaly, that there were circumstances that changed the outcome and if we repeat the experiment it will have a different outcome."

She seemed to be catching on but had found a flaw, "But what were the circumstances that we won't encounter normally?"

He chuckled and kissed her forehead just briefly internally sighing with relief that she was following along. "How about the seven years of belief that it would be amazing that we both panicked?"

She nodded her head. "Ok…ok your reasoning is sound."

"Yeah?" He asked.

She smiled softly, stretched up, and kissed him. "Yeah." And there the stood as the tension visibly fled from the room before she asked, "Do you want to try again now?"

Fortunately, he was immune to her bluntness and just laughed. "How about we eat dinner and see where the night takes us." She nodded and he released her to wander into the kitchen and begin reheating the now cold Thai food.

The fell back into the comfortable happy routine that they feared had fled only hours earlier as they ate and then he made her watch his favorite comedy show and much to her surprise she found it funny too. She was in the middle at laughing at a joke when she realized he was staring at her. "What?" She asked.

He leaned closer, "God you're beautiful when you laugh." He mumbled as his lips crashed down onto hers, as his arms came around her hauling her to him as his callused fingers slipped under the hem of her shirt. The only reaction she had was to respond with equal enthusiasm as her fingers tunneled through his hair.

And this time the sex was exactly what it was supposed to be. Fireworks going off, sheer ecstasy, and explosion of built up tension and physical, and any other cliché that one could think of to describe the coming together of two perfect halves.

This time when they fell apart she immediately curled into this side, not wanting to be physically separated from him and his arms went around her to hold her in place. As their breathing evened out, he pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "That was the opposite of bad sex."

She let out a throaty chuckle, "Yes that would be my observation as well." She placed a gentle kiss to his chest.

"So what were the conclusions of the experiment?" he asked her as he ran his hand up and down her arm.

"Well I only have two sets of data so I suppose that either one of the experiments could be an anomaly." She smiled to herself.

"Is that a challenge?" He lifted his head a little bit to find her amused grin.

"No," she smirked, "it was simply a statement of my need to collect more data. But I suppose if you wanted to take it as a challenge I wouldn't be opposed."

He rolled her over on the bed, briefly hovering over her. "More data that I think we can do." He told her before proceeding to ignite the flames all over again.

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**See plenty of problems for our favorite non couple when they become a couple. What did you think?**

**Babyrose  
**


	5. Exclamation Point

**Hey my lovely readers! I know it's been ages and I'm sorry, but I have a piece offering. It's really short but I feel like it captures something about the show that's been bugging me. **

**Bones does not me nor does the italicized portions which are from Gevorg Emin's poem _The Question Mark._**

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Exclamation Point

_Who would know, who could imagine you used to be an exclamation point?_ Sparkles used to fill your eyes as your laughter rolled through the room. You were the bright point, the flash of light, you're mere presence was enough to change the direction. You were the people that could pull the whole operation together, and give it just the amount of flair it needs.

_Who would know, who could imagine you used to be an exclamation point_? Somewhere along the way you lost a step, and then another. At first you were managing to hold it all together but slowly the pieces slipped and fell away. The focal point of the room, of the group, of the cause seemed to slip just beyond you. The sparkle faded and the laughter became hollow and forced. Instead of being the exclamation point, you became part of the background. Another duet fallen out of sync.

_Who would know, who could imagine you used to be an exclamation point?_ It took your twinkle, that thing that happen. It took away the shine you had, the bounce in your step. And we wonder how long it will take you to get it back. Sometimes we wonder if you'll ever get it back, we're terrified that you'll never get it back, not just because of what it means for you but what it means for us.

Who would know, who could imagine we used to be an exclamation point? We were the bright point, we worked together not because any magical powers we posses but because of you. You we're the reason for being, without you we have no purpose. We can hobble along for a while, we can make it work. But what we really need is for you to find that flair again, what we really need is for you to be our exclamation point.

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**Thoughts?**

**Baby rose  
**


	6. Sincerity in the Sniper

**I've been grappling with this one for weeks, trying to get it just right. I think I finally got it though. This is an ending for Hannah but it also has to do with the sniper that they're bringing in (tomorrow if you're in the US). I'm not going to lie it's a little sad but hopefully you like it anyway.**

**Bones unfortunately mine to do anything with other than be an obsessive fan.**

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Sincerity in the Sniper

My stuff was in piles on the bed, my four suitcases open on the floor. There was no way it was going to all fit back in there. Meticulously I picked up the first thing folding it and then rolling it. Cramming it into the smallest nook possible, maybe a little too forcefully. I continued the process with the next item, and the next, the silence daring me to stay a moment longer in this space that was never meant to be mine.

Piece after piece crammed into the smallest spaces, before there was nothing left on the bed and the suitcases were embarrassingly heavy. I would leave no trace behind, it was better that way. I was never meant to anyway.

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It was on the news before he even had a chance to call me about it. Not that it's unusual for him not to call me about a case. But this one is something that a normal boyfriend would have called his girlfriend about.

Coffee and bagels as I dashed out the door, wishing him good luck was how it started. Today was the day that they were going to transfer Heather Taffet, for her sentencing hearing, and he'd requested to run the transfer. There was no way that he was going to allow something to go wrong in this case; he wants to see it through to the end. That's just the kind of person he is. That's how big of a deal it was.

The bullet hit her as she was climbing out of the van. That was the only time that there was available for it. One moment she's on her way to await a sentence to repay for the horrible things she's done and the next, someone had subverted the justice system taking her fate into their own hands.

Being a journalist wasn't enough anymore. I couldn't get the information I needed. I couldn't get any information at all. The FBI only released that a massive task force had been convened to catch her killer, so far they supposedly were having success. The standard law enforcement answer when they haven't made any progress.

I hadn't heard from him all day, and figured that I shouldn't expect him home any time soon, so I called him. Short clipped phrases were all that I got, yes he was working on the sniper case, no he wouldn't be home for a few hours at a minimum, and I was to stop digging around and let the FBI do their job. That stung, he had always supported my work and encouraged me to do all the digging that I felt necessary in order to get my story. I tried not to read anything into it though and went home.

He was there in the morning when I woke up. He'd made coffee and breakfast. He was apologetic and distant. He admitted that he'd been made the lead on the investigation and that he would be lucky to come home at all tonight before he kissed me on the cheek and left the apartment.

The FBI released a name for the suspect later that afternoon. I was sitting at my desk working on an unrelated White House story, trying to stop thinking about the sniper and everything else that seemed to be crumbling just a little bit, when my editor came striding over. "Hannah… this sniper guy" He left it hanging.

"What about him Ralph?" I asked turning away from the computer.

"He's army trained." I nodded, "Ranger trained." This piqued my interest, and I lifted an eyebrow indicating he should continue. "Isn't your boyfriend an ex-army ranger sniper?"

"Yes…" I answered cautiously "why?"

"Well one of the interns was doing some digging and found this and brought it to my attention rather than yours…" He got a little shifty and uncomfortable, which isn't something that Ralph normally does. "Well for reasons that are obvious after reading this well…" he trailed off.

"Spit it out, Ralph." I was getting agitated now.

"It appears that this sniper was only rivaled by one other sniper in his time in the army completing nearly as many successful missions as one Army Ranger Seeley Booth." I'm sure that the shock was visible on my face, but Ralph continued. "It would seem that Special Agent Seeley Booth of the FBI is directing the investigation because the Sniper is here because of him and no one knows him better." Ralph finished taking in my reaction briefly, "any way I was wondering if he'd said anything to you."

All I could do was shake my head as I scrambled to pack everything up, I needed to see him now. Ralph watched me pack, "they're not going to let you into the FBI its sealed shut they're not letting anyone in."

"I'm not going to the FBI, that's not where his team is." I swung my coat on hoisting my bag onto my shoulder. "I'll be back."

"Hannah," Ralph called from my desk. "The sniper has threatened more will die today. I think he's making a game of it between him and your boyfriend." I nodded and the elevator doors slid shut.

He was right. There was no way I was getting into the FBI but the Jeffersonian was another story. There was definitely increased security here as well, it appeared agents had been assigned to boost the security on the institution, fortunately someone had added me to the list of allowed entrants here. Giving me only a few seconds to consider why I did not have a protective detail, it wasn't like him not to go overboard.

The lab felt like an ant farm as people scurried around trying to find the missing puzzle piece. Everyone was tense, like they hadn't slept in hours. He wasn't anywhere on the platform neither was his partner and so I started towards her office grinding to a halt once I turned the corner and was able to see in.

They were standing inches apart she had her hands on his arms as she seemed to be talking him through something, calming him down. He was nodding slowly with each statement she made. She finished and her head was cocked so that she could look into his eyes, which were staring at the ground. Their eyes finally caught and it was as if you could see the tension release from his body as he pulled her into his arms and just hugged her. He held her there, she wrapped her arms around him, and they held on, for how long I couldn't tell you, but all the sudden it made sense why I hadn't heard anything from him.

I turned and left the lab trying to remain calm as I walked through the increased security, trying not to let it rankle me that I hadn't received the extra security detail. I would have hated it any way I kept telling myself. I sat in my car staring at the concrete structure contemplating what to do. I couldn't go back to the office and I couldn't go back to the apartment. I ended up sitting at a Starbucks trying to work on a story that was unrelated to the sniper.

The blank page daunted me as I tried not to over analyze everything. Eventually I gave up and went home. It was empty as I expected it to be. There was no message, no note, no sign that he'd even considered being home for any amount of time. I tossed and turned, waiting for him to come home or for the news to announce that more people had died.

When I woke up in the morning the story scrolled across the new telling me that there was nothing new. I sat on the couch, with my laptop in my lap trying to find out as much information as I could. I my contacts were useless, no one would give me anything, because they had nothing to give.

It was nearly six when the door opened. I could hear her in the hallway convincing him that there was nothing more he could do right now and that he needed to get some sleep. He was arguing with her even as he pushed open the door. I closed my computer as they came in.

Both looked almost surprised to see me but neither sad anything. "Hey guys." I said internally cringing at how falsely bright it sounded in my head. "I was just about to start some dinner. Would you like to stay Temperance?" I asked apparently I was just asking to be punished.

To my relief she just shook her head, "No I 'm going home to get some sleep." She glanced down the hallway to wear Seeley had disappeared tugging at his tie. "Make sure that he gets some sleep Hannah." And she left letting herself out.

I was now standing in the kitchen in the middle of pulling out ingredients for what appeared to be spaghetti, but I couldn't remember when I decided that was what I was going to make. I shrugged my shoulders, put the water on to boil, and began slicing vegetables for the sauce.

I was adding the pasta to the water when he finally reappeared, wearing sweats and a t-shirt his hair glistening from the shower he must have taken. He climbed into the bar stool and was silent while I stirred the sauce. I was doing my best to ignore him until he uttered. "I'm sorry."

I took a deep breath turning around to face him. "For what?"

"For not letting you know what was going on, or at least letting you know where I was."

"What happened?" I didn't want to accept the apology certain because it wasn't what I wanted an apology for.

Took a deep breath as his chest heaved. "We were in training together, He always was a little pissed that I was better than him. I guess I didn't know how much it really bothered him." He was silent for a beat and ran a hand through his hair. "It doesn't matter he's proved he's better now. He got away. I couldn't catch him, and he's going to come back."

I didn't know what to say besides the cliché, "I'm sorry" before turning back to serve dinner.

We ate dinner in silence. He pushing his food around more than eating it, but I sat there patiently waiting for him to be done before clearing the plates. When I turned from the sink leaving the dishes to dry he was still sitting at the table staring at this hands. "You still love her."

He looked up at me heartbreak sketched across his face. "She got a security detail and I didn't even get a phone call."

He sighed and rubbed his hand over his face and through his face, "She's my partner, he issued threats against her. She's not with me every moment of the day I had to make sure she was safe." He tried to justify it.

Part of me wanted to yell and scream at him that it's not what I meant, but looking at him sitting there clearly fighting an internal battle that was playing across his tired features, I didn't have it in my heart. "I know you want to make sure she's safe Seeley. That doesn't explain why you told me you were over her."

He looked up from the table almost as though he was shocked, before he took a deep breath. "I wanted to be… I thought I was." He hung his head as I tried to hide my reaction and waited for him to continue.

"The call came in not long after he blew off the grave digger's head. He was threatening to kill her next and then everyone at the lab." A sigh fell from his lips. "I don't know it was like my heart tied it's self in knots nothing else mattered if she died."

He lifted his head, locking his head with mine. "She's the only women that nearly bested us all. In addition, she's come so close three times. And she was taken out by him." The terror that this reality presented for him was all over him as his fist clenched and released as if he was trying to relieve the feeling.

"When she got Bones and Hodgins…" He swallowed hard and looked back at the ground briefly before looking up again with a watery smile, "let's just say that I wasn't smart enough to find them in time. If they weren't so damn squinty they'd be dead and we wouldn't be having this conversation."

I sat down at the table again, picking up the napkin turning it in my hands, corner after corner, straight edge after edge. "Bones found me; well they all did, just before the ship sunk. I hallucinated a dead solider and still managed to get to the main deck but if she hadn't blackmailed my brother, I'd be dead."

There was silence as he watched me spin the napkin in my hand, "And the third time." I prompted.

"Her trial was right before we left." He told me taking an interest in the saltshaker twisting it slowly in his hands. "The straw that broke the camel's back. As they say. The evidence from our own cases was inadmissible and so to see justice for one little boy we dropped the cases and prosecuted her on his case."

The silence was glacial, as I waited for him to continue. "A dust mite. That was it. A dust mite saved us. If that hadn't been there then she'd be free."

He looked up from his hands staring at a spot just beyond my head, "She thought she'd lost the ability to be purely rationale, and she was mad at me for making her feel that way." He rolled his lips in chewing on them for a moment fighting with the emotion this moment brought. "That was the moment I was certain I'd lost her."

I shifted so our eyes caught again, "Before that I figure if I made a show of moving on she'd figure it out and everything would be as it was supposed to be. Everything happens eventually." He finished the last phrase playing like an inside joke I didn't know.

"We promised we'd be back in a year, but when I looked back at her in the airport I wasn't sure I'd ever see my Bones again… I'm still not sure I will."

Anger flooded his face, "I hate that women for what she stole from us, whatever chance we may have had. And I hate him for rendering justice for me. Ridiculous that I have to find the killer of the woman that tried to kill me."

"Poetic." I whispered and it was the first time he really focused on me since the beginning of the story.

"I love you." He whispered.

"Not enough." I held back the tears threatening to spill, "not as much."

"Differently."

"That doesn't change things." I shook my head. "I'm going to bed." I stood trying to keep myself in check.

"Hannah," he croaked. "I'm sorry."

A tear escaped, "I know… I know you are. I am too."

* * *

I left my key and the note sitting on the coffee table.

The cabbie helped me load my bags into the trunk, "You got a lot of stuff lady." He comments.

"It's everything I own." I told him with a water smile.

"I take that back. You could teach my wife a few lessons." He climbed into the driver's seat. "Where to?"

I inhale the unique taxi scent, glanced up at the apartment on last time. "Reagan International"

* * *

The corners of the note fluttered with airflow of the opening door. "Hannah." He called his eyes catching the note and the key.

Sliding the note out from its temporary paperweight. Opening the folded legal paper to find the line inside.

_Good stories are never simple. Making poetry is never pretty. Moments are never singular. Yours will come again._

And for the first time in days he smiled.

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**The last little bit is supposed to be the ending of the episode. You know the moment were everything seems to fall into place.**

**Please, please tell me what you think! I really appreciate you reading this.**

**Babyrose  
**


	7. Wouldn't Catch

**Hi all! So this is a short one shot about what I hope happens tomorrow. There's nothing else to say other than I don't own Bones.**

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Wouldn't Catch

The velvet feels soft as he runs his fingers across it before it tugs resisting the backwards motion as he tries to run his fingers back across the top. It's a small box, tiny really but is seems to carry with it so many implications that he's literally frozen in place, stroking the box as if it will tell him what to do.

He'd done it originally because he didn't want to be thought of a as a loser by the kid that he'd come to treat like his little brother. He wanted to show that he was a man. A man who'd moved on and was in a happy loving, long term relationship. That meant the next step was buying the right ring and asking her.

Finding the right ring turned out to be way more of a debacle that he would have ever thought. The store might was well have been a giant diamond from the amount of sparkle that poured from the counters, he found himself wishing that he could put his sunglasses on to protect his eyes. But he'd taken a deep breath and started studying the selection that was within his price range. There must have been hundreds of rings but he'd keep coming back to this one, and he couldn't figure out why. So he trusted his gut and bought the ring, he wasn't even sure that she'd like it.

The plan had been to be to take her to dinner tonight and ask her. She was going to say yes, they would start planning a beautiful wonderful wedding, and they could really begin the rest of their lives together.

That was until he'd flicked the ring box open one last time five minutes ago to reassure himself that it was the right ring when everything seemed to click into place as he was staring at it. A string of curse words fell from his lips as he snapped the lid shut and stared off the balcony. So much for the fantastical plan ending in happily ever after.

The feel of the velvet was the only thing that was anchoring him to the moment as he took in the city in all of its grandeur. "Hey Seeley." He could hear the smile in her voice behind him as he palmed the small box and slipped it into his pocket turning around to face her.

"Hey." He slowly answered, appreciating the fact that she'd dressed up for the evening and he was going to ruin it. He was going to ruin everything.

She cocked her head to the side, taking in his distraught appearance. "What's wrong?"

"Hannah." He stated calmly.

A small tear formed in the corner of her eye, as a sad smile blossomed. "This is it." She finished her nose wrinkling as she tried to keep her tears under control. She's not a crier, never has been and she's certainly not going to start now.

He lifts his shoulders almost as though he's at a loss for what to do now. "I was going to propose." He tells her lamely.

She nods afraid of what her voice will sound like if she answered him.

"I have a ring and everything." A distraught hand makes its way to his hair. "I just couldn't do it."

Shoving her hands into her coat pockets, she takes a deep breath in an effort to compose herself. "I would ask why but I already know."

"You do?" The statement legitimately shocks him given that he didn't even know the answer until a few moments ago.

She nods. "I thought it was one sided for a while but neither of you has moved on really. You've managed to continue on and while we were in Afghanistan you we making steps to move on but when we got back there were those moments when I wasn't sure if you really had moved on." She brushes her long blond hair over her shoulder. "They were fleeting and so I ignored them you guys were close and you'd mentioned that you'd basically been in a relationship with each other until you left."

"I'm so sorry."

She shook her head a little bit causing the curls to dance in the air. "Don't be… It was that case a few weeks ago when you told me about her feelings. That was when I didn't think that this was going to last for much longer."

"You've know for that long?" He's an investigator how did he miss his own behavior?

She shrugged slowly. "Her name keeps popping up in conversation more and more often. You spend more and more time with her."

He turns back out to the city that he's come to love. "I don't know what to say." It feels lame coming out of his mouth, but it's all that he can come up with.

She steps closer to him but he doesn't look back at her. "Thank you." She whispers barely loud enough to be heard over the traffic on the street below.

Now he's confused and he looks over his shoulder at her brow crinkling along well worn lines. "For what?"

Placing a hand on his back, "For proving to me that I can live in one place." She stretched up and placed a kiss on his cheek. "And that it is possible for love to endure all sorts of things." With that, she turned and walked off the balcony stopping at the door. "What made you realize?" Curiosity getting the better of her.

He didn't look back at her. Instead, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the box flicking it open to stare at the ring again. "I bought a ring that wouldn't catch on her gloves." He states slowly and sadly.

She doesn't respond, all he hears is the receding click of her heels.

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**Well what did you think? Do think it's possible?**

**Babyrose  
**


	8. Momentum Deferred

**Hi! Long time no see. Sorry about that, senior year of college is all I've got for you. Now this in reference to tonight's episode and what will be the result of it. I'm not sure how i feel about it but I had to get it out of my head.**

**I don't own bones just in case you forgot.**

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Momentum Deferred

Momentum travels in one direction. In a straight line from the point it was pushed from traveling in one direction endlessly. Until something knocks it off course. A coma, amnesia, someone pushing too hard, panic, a year apart, a girlfriend. It upsets the track of the momentum and throws it off balance.

But momentum can only be deferred for so long before it comes crashing back into line. All it takes is for that momentum to resume its course is one gunshot to ring out, the bullet to miss its target and take out an unintended victim.

The two objects are instead set back on course, but the speed has changed and the collision occurs suddenly. Instead of being a gentle collision where everything just melds together in the typical manner that one has come to expect The collision is massive, almost violent and completely out of the blue.

She dissolves into tears that the mere thought that it could have been him and cannot even find the words to tell him. But some how he knows as he grips her shaking frame to his body assuring himself that she is still there. That she's ok and he's never going to lose her.

It's not the collision that they thought they we're going to have. It's not the collision that any of them expected to happen. But he holds her to him only aware of how small she feels next to him and that she's still crying but that there's nothing he can do to help her right now besides hold her.

She clings to him in a way that she'd always promised herself she would never do. She's never needed a person let alone a man to be there for her. The thought only makes her body shake harder and she grips his t-shirt a little tighter clinging to him. But he's become the exception to every rule she's ever laid out, ever rule she's ever taken to be true.

The problem with deferring momentum is that when it does come crashing back into line it has a rather different outcome than what would have originally happened. Instead, it sends out violent aftershocks at unexpected times.

So now, the story becomes about surviving the aftershocks. Some are violent and test not only the core of what everyone believed was possible but has challenged everyone's assertion that it would be perfect.

The good thing about aftershocks is that they are never as violent as the original collision. So if they survived that first collision then they will survive ones that come after.

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**Well what did you think? Please let me know just no spoilers please I can't watch tonights episode until tomorrow because of my Senior Gala.**

**In an unrelated note congratulations to everyone in the class of 2011.**

**Babyrose**


	9. Still Here

**I found this one sitting on my hard drive today almost finished so I finished it for you. I would put this somewhere in the not so distant future but I've come to expect nothing form HH and crew so god knows where this falls but it's still pretty cute. **

**I still have no ownership over this show.**

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Still Here

"You're still here." He mutters under his breath, almost as if he's just realized it and didn't know that the words were coming out of his mouth.

She's busy unpacking the brown paper bag, pulling out the Chinese cartons, "Hm…" She looked up at him briefly, "of course I am, you asked me to stay for dinner and to watch a movie. What did you think I was going to leave while you were changing?"

He smiles at her bluntness, "Never mind. I'm going to grab plates. Why don't you put the movie in?" She nods in agreement, as she pinches a few grains of rice between her fingers to sprinkle in her mouth. He grins happily to himself walking into the kitchen pulling out a couple of beers out of the fridge, grasping the cold necks between his fingers in one hand as he pulls the plates from another cabinet, carefully balancing chopsticks and a fork on top, before carrying it all back into his living room.

She's lined up all the food containers on his coffee table, rice in the middle, dishes they'll both eat on either side, and then her veggie dish set off to the side. She's up booting up the DVD player, TV, and sound system so he settles himself on the couch and begins serving himself carefully arranging the food on his plate, before reaching over and grabbing the dish she'd set aside and adding that to his plate.

"Hey what are you doing? That one's mine!" She exclaimed turning around catching him in the act. "Booth you have two meat dishes to eat do you have to have some of mine to?" She's smiling and hits him lightly on the arm as she plunks down on the couch next to him, grabbing the container from him and dumping the rest on her plate.

He chuckles leaning back with his plate on his lap and beer in hand, "Maybe I like that dish too." Which earned him a faux glare as she finished assembling her plate and then settled back into the couch beside him.

She lifted her beer towards him tipping it just slightly, "To another case closed." The bottles sound oddly dense as they clinked, "To the best partnership the Bureau's ever had." He finished for her, and couldn't help but love the way her eyebrow quirked up in that questioning manner as she took a sip from her bottle but she didn't say a word, instead hitting the play button allowing the opening theme music to fill the room.

Hours later, the empty containers are sitting on the coffee table just beyond their feet, which are propped up. His socks are outlandish colors in zigzagging stripes, her toe nails are painted a rich pink, something that he would have never expected from her. His arm is resting on the couch behind her and she's leaning against his side.

She's been quite for a while which is unusual for her when they watch movies together, normally she's always asking questions, trying to learn more, to get every last drop from the movie. Instead, he feels the slow rise and fall of her chest next to his and he knows that she's fallen asleep. He hadn't realized how much this last case must have worn her out.

He smiles to himself and carefully eases himself out from underneath her making sure that she's still propped up on the couch and sleeping soundly before he starts cleaning up the remnants of their dinner, carting the dishes and trash into the kitchen. He switches off the TV and smiles at her sleeping form. If him cleaning up didn't wake her up then she was likely out for the night.

Scooping her up in his arms, he carried her into his bedroom and carefully placed her on the bed pulling the covers up over her small frame. Smiling as she borrows into the pillow, he switches off the last light before retreating to the living room.

He doesn't get half way down the hallway before he hears her voice, "Booth?" it's soft and sleepy and he can resist going back to her. She's blinking softly and has already rolled further into the bed. "Where are you going?"

"To sleep on the couch," he answers with a gentle smile.

She shakes her head slowly, "No, sleep here you'll hurt your back if you sleep there and then I'll have to fix you."

Now he laughs, "You do have magic fingers; maybe I'm trying to come up with a reason for you to use them."

"That's absurd," She sighs blinking sleepily. "Come and sleep in your bed. I'll use my magic fingers on you later." Oblivious the double meaning of the comment she just made she closes her eyes and her breathing pattern evens out and he's helpless not to crawl into the opposite side of the bed from her. His head barely hit the pillow before her small frame wrapped around his, and he can't help but smile again to himself as he lets sleep capture him.

The sun is sparkling through the windows when he wakes up. He's in the bed alone but it's still warm, she can't have been gone ten minutes. He's afraid she's disappeared on him and that they took one-step forward and twelve back. Then the aroma of fresh coffee wafts into the bedroom.

He finds her in his kitchen rummaging through the contents of the fridge. "You're still here." He tells her for the second time in twelve hours.

She stands up straight closing the fridge behind her. "I'm not going anywhere Booth." Now he knows that she finally understands his wonder and she just waits for it to sink in. They're silent for a few moments but it's not long before she can't handle the silence any more. "I was going to make breakfast but you don't seem to have anything appropriate for breakfast, so there's just fresh coffee."

The grin is uncontrollable as he claps his hands together. "Then we'll just have to go out." And with that, he picks up her purse and coat handing it to her as he slides his feet into shoes and grabs his keys.

It's as she passes him to get to her own shoes that he finally takes a risk himself, wraps an arm around her waist, and pulls her close. "I'm not going anywhere either."

Her hands come up to rest on his chest and her blue eyes lock with his chocolate brown. "Well I'm glad that's settled." And she stretches up to brush a kiss across his lips. "Now I believe you promised me breakfast."

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**Thanks for reading! Let me know what you thought.**

**Babyrose**


	10. Returns Never Go As Planned

**Is it bad if I still dislike Hannah? I don't really think so, so I've put her in a supremely awkward situation.**

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Returns Never Go As Planned

The whoosh of the lab door was comfortably familiar as I hitched my shoulder bag further up wandering slowly into the space that I'd had a hard time forgetting in the two years since I'd left. It looked just the same as it had before with the stainless steel glinting gently in the sunlight that was coming through the vast sky light. I was in town for a story, just for a few days, that and I needed to get a new passport. I figured that this was a good as time as any to catch up with friends and see how Seeley was doing. I didn't quite of have the courage to start with him so I would start with those at the lab.

No one was on the platform as I crossed the sterilized air threshold. There were just a few people roaming around the different stations working on old reports, tying up loose ends, doing research of their own. I could see Cam at her computer in Autopsy and the lights in Angela's and Brennan's office were on. I could just see the back of Temperance's head on her couch. I figured that she was just working on her book or the next article she was hoping to publish.

I could start there. _No problem_, I told myself. Temperance was always the clear level headed, overly rational, and completely literal one of the group. She wouldn't read anything more into my visit than me just wanting to say hi because I was in town.

The door was open so I just paused on the threshold as I knocked on the door. She turned looking to me and smiled, "Hannah! Come in," she gestured moving her lap top to the coffee table and scooping a toddler, maybe an infant I've never been good with children, off the floor and settling the little girl on hip with practiced ease. Angela and Hodgins baby girl I assumed naturally and she pulled me into a one armed hug.

"It's so wonderful to see you! What brings you to DC?" she asked as she moved stacks of paper from the arm chair to the table making room for me on to sit. She did all of it with one arm with practiced art of someone with a baby fixed to her hip. Which didn't bother me it seemed logical that she would spend a lot of time with Angela's kid so I didn't think anything of it.

"Oh I'm just in town to get a new passport and do a few interviews for a piece I'm working on. Then I'm heading out on my next assignment." I told her settling down on the clear space as she sat back down and started bouncing the baby on her knee to the little girls delight.

"That's wonderful. I loved your series on the conditions in Iraq for soldiers it was very informative."

I didn't know what to say she wasn't exactly a person that handed out praise readily to anyone so I deflected and waved at the happy infant. "Thank you. And who's this adorable little girl?" I asked.

The baby was chewing on a toy while smiling. Temperance just smiled and brushed the child's hair to the side, "This here is Bella. Her nanny was sick today so she came to work with Mom."

I leaned forward to look carefully at the baby, there was no way she was old enough, but whom else's baby would it be. "Well Bella Hodgins you are just the prettiest little girl." Which earned me a giggle.

This however got a very different reaction from Temperance than I would have every expected. She laughed whole-heartedly wrapping her arm around the baby more fully. "Your mistake is understandable. Angela was pregnant for the duration of your relationship with Booth in D.C." She laughed again; meanwhile I was trying to figure out what on earth she could be talking about. "Angela and Hodgins had a baby boy, Michael, at the beginning of last summer. Bella here is my daughter."

Looking at the little girl an "Oh," escaped my mouth as I studied the little girl and I could see her mom's jaw line and auburn hair color coming in as she squirmed in her mother's lap.

Temperance was oblivious to my shock however and continued on, "Angela has however decided that they are going to grow up and get married. It will be, according to her, the perfect fairy tale…" She continue talking about the plans Angela had made for their children and gushing about Bella's latest accomplishment just like a normal mother would and took no notice of my attempt to glean who the darling girl's father was. All I managed to figure out is that some time in the two years since I left not only had she managed to have a baby but she'd also gotten married as evidenced by the simple sliver band wrapped around her ring finger.

It was nothing gaudy, or sparkly, in fact it was downright plain just a sliver band wrapped around her figure. Unmistakable in its purpose. The thought blipped through my mind that maybe after I left… but I immediately dismissed the idea. I'd only been gone two years there was no way in that amount of time her and Booth had gotten married and had a baby. Given their history that just seemed a little too fast for them. Plus we'd split after I'd said no to a proposal, that's not just a normal break up. But the thought just niggled as I looked at the little girls chocolate brown eyes knowing that they were too familiar.

Temperance had stopped talking momentarily and was rummaging in the bag at her feet pulling out a pacifier and a stuffed bear. "There you go. Dad should be here soon and then we can go to lunch."

"You have plans with your husband. I should really take off anyway get some work done and pick up so new clothes." I tried to make an excuse to disappear as quickly as possible. And as soon as I was out of the lab I was going to Google Dr. Brennan, surely one of her fan sites to tell me when she got married and who to, let alone when Bella was born. She was famous enough for that, right?

Brennan stood shifting Bella to her hip again, "Nonsense Booth should be here momentarily." I bit my lip trying to stop myself from saying anything I might regret and simultaneously crush my need to just bolt from the room. "I'm sure he'd love to catch up with you and hear about your work." She was managing to pack a bag one handed, and I was reminding myself that I was an embedded war journalist I should be more than capable of facing lunch with my ex-boyfriend and his wife or partner or possibly both and their perfect daughter.

"How are my girls?" I heard followed by his signature clap of his hand and he strode into the office not even noticing me. He just crossed to them and wrapped his arms around them both pecking the baby's head before leaning in for a longer kiss with his wife. At this point I'm trying not to hyperventilate, vomit, or faint, while reminding myself I can do this I've done things that are way scarier. "What have you been up to?" He asked Bella.

"Well I was just inviting Hannah to join us for lunch." Temperance answered him, for the first time in my life I felt like melting into the furniture would be the ideal situation as I watched his eyes go wide and follow his wife's line of sight.

"Hey Seeley." I managed to say.

"Hannah." He was still recovering from the shock of seeing me again. "What are you doing in DC?" It was almost accusatory.

I took a deep breath I've interviewed presidents my ex-boyfriend shouldn't be so hard, "Getting a passport renewed and a few interviews done… You look good."

Silence reigned for a moment and the only one that didn't seem uncomfortable was Temperance, "Thanks so do you." Another awkward pause, "Would you like to join us for lunch?"

I would like to believe that I am fearless and until that moment I thought I was. But as it turns out my greatest fear is having to interact with happy couples composed of my ex-boyfriend and what used to be just his work partner. "I was just telling Temperance that I really need to go run some errands before my interview this afternoon."

Booth looked relieved for a split second before he tried to school his features into a more disappointed look. "That's too bad maybe the next time you're in town."

"Hannah are you sure?" Temperance asked, "I would really love to talk to you for a little bit longer."

The look on the Booth's face was almost comical as he said, "She's a busy woman Bones, we'll catch up the next time she makes a pit stop in DC."

Relieved that he was helping me escape, probably as much for himself as me, I was quick to agree. "Definitely, the next time I'm in town we'll schedule a meal." I told her slinging my bag on and making my way to the door stopping to give her a hug. "It was wonderful to see you both and she's a beautiful little girl." I told them before I moved and quickly as I could out of the office and for the lab doors vowing never to just stop by again.

Luck wasn't with me as I practically collided with Angela, "Hannah!" She exclaimed, "It's great to see you!" Then she must have taken in my expression, "You already know? Ugh I wish I'd seen you first then I at least could have given you warning."

"I don't know that anything would have prepared me for finding them happily married with a baby." I told her honestly.

"Yikes, sorry. If it makes you feel better the married portion is only a week old. He only managed to talk her into going down to the courthouse last week." She told me reaching out to give me a comforting squeeze.

I shook my head. "No it doesn't really help. Look I would love to stay and chat but I think I just need to escape and wrap my head around the concept."

"I totally understand. Get out of here." She told me with a wave.

I started towards the entrance before I stopped, "How long after I left?" I asked her.

Angela had the decency not to tell me. "It doesn't matter. She wasn't the rebound girl or comfort sex if that's what you're asking."

"I didn't mean… you know what never mind. Are they happy?" I asked already knowing the answer.

She nodded and gave me a sad smile, "Really really happy."

"Ok. I'm going to leave it at that. It was nice to see you Angela." I with that I left the lab vowing never to come back.

* * *

**Well what did you think?**

**Side note yesterday Baby in the Bough was on TNT and it made me soo excited for season 7. Is it September yet?**

**Babyrose**


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